Tuesday, March 12, 2013
By BEN HARRIS
Teams from New South Wales and Queensland should watch their backs, the Alliance are going to give the 2013 X-Blades Elite Eight a shake-up.
The Alliance is a team made up of players from outside the two dominate states in touch football – NSW and Queensland.
They are at the Elite Eight this year to give their more experienced rivals a run for their money.
The men have the services of some very talented players such as Australian representative Stuart Brierty and under 18s player Robert McCarthy. They are going to be well-supported by Tim Glazebrook, Craig Boston and Chris Kavney who have all played at this level before.
The women’s team will be led by Leah Percy, who has two women’s opens Trans-Tasman campaigns under her belt. Mel Woodward has also played at the international level in the women’s 30s.
The Alliance women’s opens surprised many people and teams in the inaugural X-Blades Elite Eight Series with their brilliant performance. Not given any hope, they just missed out on the semi-finals.
Percy said the team could go even better this time around.
“I think all the girls will step up in their own right,” she said.
“We’ve got a few good ball players, a few good ruckers and I think everyone will step up that little bit extra.
“We are really a good team rather a team of superstars.”
The Alliance do give up a distinct advantage to the opposition; getting together for training is hard consider the players are scattered around the country.
Not that Brierty is using that as an excuse.
“The boys are coming together nice and well and playing some nice footy,” Brierty said.
“Hopefully we can do a bit better than last time around, we only won one game. We would like to emulate the girls, so we would like to be around the semi-finals at the pokie end of the season.”
Brierty and Percy agreed playing for the Alliance was an honour.
“It’s massive,” Brierty said. “It gives the developing states something to aspire to.
“Being from WA myself I always wanted to play at the elite level. Now I’ve got the responsibility and the enjoyment of going back and helping the home roots like WA and Victoria and sides like that.”
Stay tuned to www.austouch.com.au in the lead up to the event to hear from each of the Elite Eight teams and their preparations for the series which starts on Wednesday, 13 March in Coffs Harbour.
You can keep up-to-date with all of the latest news and information from the 2013 X-Blades National Touch League in the following ways:
Websites
Social Media
Facebook – www.facebook.com/touchfootballaustralia
Twitter – www.twitter.com/touchfootyaus (be sure to use the hashtag #NTL2013)
Instagram – search for ‘Touch Football Australia’
YouTube - www.youtube.com/touchfootballaus
- Links:
Alliance shake-up
